I ran at my max speed (which wasn't very fast) through camp, trying to follow the scream to it's source. I was done with my mother, my friends, my life. I was running not only to Sarah, but away. The lights flickered on in multiple cohorts, but I didn't stop. Over the hills and through the trees I ran until I saw Sarah, drowning. I panicked. My swimming skills were not up to par, but I dived in the water. I'll spare you the details of me struggling to get Sarah out of the water, but I'll say it wasn't the easiest thing I'd ever done. I got her on shore. I knew roughly how to do CPR. I did thirty chest compression, and she started to breathe a little, but wasn't fully conscious, so I recalled the next step, and gave two rescue breaths. On the second she opened her eyes, and I hoped she didn't see the CPR in action. She slowly sat up and I felt so relieved. My quick heartbeat started to slow down to a normal beat.
"How ironic that you should save my life... I was just going for a walk when something pulled me in" she struggled to say, and pointed to a dead sea creature.
"Sarah, I'm sorry about your cousin. I truly am," I replied grimly, feeling more loss then I did before.
"No Brian, I'm sorry. It wasn't your fault he died, I was just really sad and mad and confused... He was the bravest guy I knew... My only family left but Mars..." I felt her. I really did. My father dying hadn't struck me this hard ever, and suddenly, I felt the fault of the gods, for not protecting us.
"I know. I wonder why I'm still here at camp. Being a demigod is too much. I want my father back. I want a mother that I can actually see regularly. I want to live a life where I have to risk death to go outside the walls. Where I can meet a girl that doesn't have to worry about me dying everyday. Where my mom didn't just show up for the first time to show me a five second clip of my past before memory loss," I cried, then stood up, tears in my eyes, "You hear me mom?" I fell down and Sarah put her hand around me, then everything froze.
"I hear you. And I'm truly sorry, my dear. I cannot interact as much as I would like in my children's lives," Athena's voice said, but I could not find her anywhere near me, then I saw a brown owl on the ground, light coming from the eyes.
"You don't understand my struggle. He died, now all I have left is a careless parent, and my life is messed up. Hell, my friends aren't even on my side anymore. I hate living this life that leads no where," I said, speaking with such utter hatred. Then the beach melted away, and I reappeared in a different place. The owl was on my shoulder.
"I've shown you the fast past, maybe now it's time for the detailed future. This is just a scene. No one can see you," Athena's voice said. The grass was less green here. There were 12 houses in a U shape, and in the middle was a fire place.
"So this is Camp Jupiter in a few years time? I don't get it," I said.
"No. This is Camp Half-Blood. Your camps rival. You are the key to peace of both camps in a few years time. And this is your home," she said. I was astonished. In all my time at Camp Jupiter I never thought I would ever call any other place home. No one was in sight, but the place was cool. There was a wall with lava on it, a forest, and various other things. Just the setting looked and felt more relaxed than the strictness of Camp Jupiter.
"So I'm still living the half-blood life in a couple years... Great. Perfect," I said spitefully. Then I heard a voice that did not belong to Athena. It turned into yelling of two people, then explosions were audible. It seemed to be coming from the black cabin with machinery and steam coming out of it. I wanted to see what it was so I walked closer. Suddenly a boy flew out of the window carried by a phoenix. I ran over to him and looked at him on the ground. When I saw his face, it was almost the same as mine, except his eyes, which were red. It was future me, and I was evil for some reason.
"Minerva! Or Athena, whatever. Why am I evil in the future? I thought you said I was peaceful," I yelled at the owl on my shoulder. The boy stood up and disappeared in black smoke.
"I cannot tell you. The Fates deny that right. Even this glimpse is risky. We have to go. All that can be said is soon you won't be so miserable. Get some rest." Before I could say anything, I blacked out.
I woke up in my Camp Jupiter bed with a headache. The last night was too much to comprehend, so I didn't try to. I struggled to get up. My knees hurt, and all of my scabs and scars hurt a thousand times more than they did the previous day, but finally I managed to get up. I changed my clothes into my standard outfit: purple Camp Jupiter shirt and blue jeans. I looked on my right forearm my tattoo as I waited for the disciplinary instructor, wondering when I got it, but before I could ponder more I was startled by a deep voice.
"Brian Pepper Holtz?" a voice asked. I looked up to see a tall muscular boy who looked about sixteen. He had short blonde hair.
"Hello," I said, and he frowned.
"You answer the Praetor with 'Hello'?" he asked. I realized it was Nero's replacement. He was the type not to mess around ever. He motioned for me to follow him. I followed him outside of my cohort and into the camp. It was early in the day, no later than five in the morning. I looked around and saw the aqueducts that I saw every morning, and in the distance, the Coliseum. It was most impressive at night when a quest leader earned a Triumph and there were fireworks, but in the morning it was still pretty awesome.
I followed the Praetor to the Field of Mars. Mars made me think of Sarah, and I wondered what would have happened if my mother hadn't intertwined. As if ruining my life wasn't enough for her. Not that I was romantically in love with Sarah. Or was I? Then I realized the grass I was in was browner than the rest of the grass in camp, which meant I was in the Field of Mars.
We stopped in the center, and he grabbed a bamboo stick, and told me to grab one. I was confused.
"What does this have to do with discipline? I thought that was the stuff where I learned how to live the Roman life," I said. The life I didn't ever want to live, I thought.
"I see why you needed this training. We've got a long way to go," he said. What a jerk.
For the next couple of hours he showed me how to stand straight in formation by trying to make me balance the stick vertically on my head. It didn't work good for me. He got frustrated, and we moved on to shooting a bow on bullseye. Maybe one out of fifteen even hit the target. My sword fighting wasn't much better.
"How did Lupa recommend you? You aren't even good enough to clean the Roman bathrooms. I've taught eight year olds who can do better. I admit the balance part is hard, but you couldn't even do it for one second. Before I can teach you Roman discipline I need you to be able to do the things I need to discipline you on. You are no Roman," he yelled. He expected too much of me. I could barely hold the rage in anymore, but I had to because I was done and didn't want him to make me stay longer. He let me go, so I gave him the sword he supplied with me. He took it and stabbed it deep into the ground.
"Once you get that, we will continue lessons," he said, and he walked away. I was starving, but I wasn't about to give up then. I pulled but it wouldn't give any. I tried as hard as I could, but it was stuck. I couldn't do it. I was done, and I was about to leave, with failure. I walked away, but then I turned around. I started to run as fast as I could, right into the hilt of that sword. Finally I made contact, and it went to an angle. I pulled the sword out with triumph.
"Praetor?" I yelled. He turned around, surprised. Then he pulled out his sword and ran at me. This time, I was prepared to fight this bastard. His first hit was a strike on my left. I deflected it with my blade, then I tried to go for his legs, but he jumped, but my hit was not done yet. The momentum built upend my blade went in a circle and hit his, which was in the middle of a jab at my stomach, which sent my sword flying. It was the longest I lasted against him and he looked impressed. In the awe, I took his sword out of his hand and stabbed it into the ground (okay, maybe not as deep as he did, but still).
"Once you get that, I'll let you judge whether or not I'm Roman," I said, and I walked away to lunch.
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You just read my favorite chapter to write thus far :D Thank you everybody who read and please VOTE+COMMENT because it makes me feel like a legend. See you next Sunday at Chapter 6!
P.S Jason you are in the Camp Half-Blood part if you didn't notice, it's a really old role-play we did. Woo!
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Brian Holtz: Origins
الخيال (فانتازيا)Thank you for all the support throughout the story
